122 You hear the positives of competing in OTB classical events all the time (including from me on this podcast). And their improvement benefits are undeniable. However, they have some serious downsides: money, time, and energy, just to name a few. To the point where I’ve become uncertain whether they’re worth it. And so has my guest, FM Nate Solon.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The many challenges of OTB classical events, like creating difficult situations for proper eating, sleeping, and recovery.
• ​​The identity component of "serious chess players play OTB classical" creates unnecessary pressure.
• Potential solutions like shorter time controls, more desirable tournament experiences, or online classical competitions. 

FM Nate Solon is a coach, Chessable course creator, and author of a popular weekly newsletter, Zwischenzug. Here are links to all of that:

More From Nate Solon:

• Article: I Don’t Like Chess Tournaments
• Article: What Would a Fun Chess Tournament Look Like?
• Chessable Courses
• Weekly Newsletter: Zwischenzug
• Twitter

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